Lore of Jeremiah Garland
This page refers to Lord Jeremiah Garland of the 8th and 9th Brethren Courts. It should not be confused with Jeremiah Garland (Former Chancellor of the Exchequer). For the TLOPO character this page concerns, see Jeremiah Garland (TLOPO). Jeremiah Garland '''(c. 1710 – 2 July 1757), also known as Count Klaus von Wroclai (Клаус фон Вроклай) was a pirate active in both the Caribbean and the Baltic Seas from 1735 until his death. He served in both the 8th and 9th Brethren Courts, representing the Baltic Sea, and briefly held the title of Binder of the Seven Seas in the latter court. For his active and long-lasting career of piracy in both the Caribbean and Baltic, he has often been nicknamed the '''"Scourge of Two Worlds". Early Years and Education Jeremiah Garland was born in St Albans, Hertfordshire, to parents Charles Garland and Anne (née Selkirk). The exact date of his birth is disputed, though is generally considered to be in or around the year 1710. His mother died when Garland was less than a year old. He had one brother, Elias, two years his senior. Charles Garland had a prominent upbringing and was a diplomat for the British government, serving various roles, though most notably as an attaché to the British ambassador to Russia. Though he fulfilled the duty well and was even a popular figure throughout St Petersburg, he was removed from the post and subsequently took up quaint municipal positions in the county of Hertfordshire. Both Jeremiah and Elias attended Eton College from the age of 12 until 14, at which point their father urged them to enlist in the service of either the Royal Navy or the East India Trading Company, as means for them to "see the world" (in reality, Charles Garland could no longer afford to send his boys to Eton). Whilst Elias enlisted in the Royal Navy, eventually gaining the rank of lieutenant, Jeremiah opted to join the East India Trading Company. Career in the East India Trading Company Initially serving the lowly role of deckhand, Garland saw his career in the company begin on board the HMS Anglesey, one of the company's largest freight ships. According to the ship's log, from 1724 – 1726, the Anglesey made three voyages: two to West Africa and one to India. During a second voyage to India in early 1727, Garland, now a captain's aide, had his first-run in with piracy. On March 8, 70 miles off the coast of Madagascar, the Anglesey was boarded by a gang of notorious Malagasy pirates. Because the company ship was ill-equipped to deal with pirates, little resistance was made against the pirates – though two company soldiers were killed amidst the chaos. Badly damaged and stripped of all cargo and valuables, the Anglesey was forced first to seek repairs at Cape Town before returning to Portsmouth, its port of call. Arrival in the Caribbean From July 1727 to February 1728, Garland, now 18, worked a desk job in the Company headquarters in London. Elias, recently returned from garrison duty in Halifax, attempted to persuade his brother to enlist in the Royal Navy and begin his military career. Reluctant to leave the Company, Jeremiah Garland decided instead to join the Company's Presidency Armies, a colonial military force directly under the EITC's control. He enlisted February 11 into the 9th Company Rifles, a regiment commanded by Colonel Francis Frederic Stratham, a former marine captain nicknamed "the Pirate Hunter" for his personal hatred of piracy, and lengthy list of pirates killed or executed at his command. That summer, the regiment saw its first assignment in the form of combatting the growing trend of piracy primarily in the West Indies. The regiment sailed for Port Royal, Jamaica, that year, where Garland – now a corporal – would be stationed in the town's own Fort Charles. As fate would have it, Elias Garland's own unit, the 44th Royal Marine Division, was relocated to the Caribbean as well, stationed on the nearby island of Nevis. War on Piracy Garland's arrival in the Caribbean coincided with an escalation in the so-called "War on Piracy" – a joint attempt by the Company and the British Royal Navy to curtail the growing threat of piracy in the region. Port Royal, the colonial capital of Jamaica, and the surrounding vicinity was a particular area of rampant piracy. By and large, Garland's tenure serving in the Fort Charles garrison was uneventful; in Garland's own words, each day was "as monotonous and unspectacular as watching the rise and fall of the tide". However, the chance for action came on April 7, 1729, when an illegal smuggling operation was discovered in the old town district of Port Royal, led by a small-time pirate called Captain Owen Rhys. As the largest unit stationed at Fort Charles, the 9th Company Rifles led the raid on Rhys's smuggling den. During the ensuing battle, Garland distinguished himself by taking down four of Rhys's men. Rhys himself was captured and, on Stratham's orders, executed at the town square gallows. For his bravery, Corporal Garland was subsequently promoted to sergeant. From June to October of that year, the 9th Company Rifles were temporarily reassigned to Fort Dundee, on the recently acquired colony of Padres del Fuego. Despite having been wrested from Spanish control by British forces just a year earlier, the island, known for its rich mineral deposits, was in need of extra protection. An upstart mining operation established by the East India Company on the island was victim to a series of raids carried out by the notorious Portuguese pirate captain Paolo de Alvarez, and his crew which had made base in the unsettled foothills of the island. So dug in was Alvarez and his crew, that over the span of four weeks they had built a series of fortifications in the thick jungles of the island, and had even stolen British cannon from Fort Dundee. On July 1, the 9th Company Rifles collaborated with a detachment of the 95th Royal Marines to route Alvarez. All in all, the British numbered roughly 120 men to Alvarez's 50; even still, the joint Company-Navy force knew it would be a hard-fought battle given Alvarez's superior defensive position. Garland, promoted to Lieutenant the night before the battle, was given command of a platoon of twelve soldiers. In the Battle of El Suduron that followed – so named for the dense jungle in which it was fought – Lieutenant Garland and his men, acting under orders of Colonel Stratham, led an assault on the southern edge of the pirate fortifications in the early hours of the morning. For nearly an hour the British forces besieged the pirate encampment, but to no avail; the wet soil of the jungle had bogged down British forces, and deemed their cannon immobile. Firing from the high-ground, Alvarez's well-armed crew killed nearly a quarter of the British forces in this phase. By 7 am, Garland approached Stratham with a plan to quietly march a mile to the northwest, and descend upon the unguarded portion of the pirate camp. Stratham reluctantly agreed to the plan, and Garland led his platoon through the swamps of El Suduron. Half an hour later, the platoon fell on the pirate fortifications, and after exchanging a single volley of open fire, engaged in close-quarters combat. Meanwhile, amidst the chaos, Stratham and the remaining Company-Navy division finally broke through the fortifications and joined the assault. Miraculously, not a single soldier in Garland's platoon died, though Garland himself received a stabbing wound to his upper right shoulder. Within another 20 minutes the pirates were completely overwhelmed, and Alvarez himself was captured attempting to flee. Rather than take him prisoner and execute him publicly, Colonel Stratham ordered he be brought to him, and with a point-blank shot to the back of the skull, executed him personally in the middle of the camp. Following the battle, the 9th was reappointed back to Fort Charles. Garland was promoted to captain the day of their return, for his key role in the company's victory. This had been Garland's first visit to Padres del Fuego; little did he know that ten years later he would return as the island's liberator. Meeting Richard Cannonwalker Beginning in 1727 Captain Garland had kept a steady correspondence with his brother Elias. In early 1730, whilst on temporary leave, he visited his brother at Fort St George on Nevis. It was also during this time that he first met and befriended the royal governor of Port Royal, Weatherby Swann, and was a frequent guest at his excellency's lavish dinner table. In March, 1731, following a slight lull in pirate activity, rumours began circulating of a new pirate captain terrorising the waters around Jamaica and Cuba – a young man who called himself Richard Cannonwalker. Only 21 years old, the upstart captain had raised a sizable crew with the stomp of his foot, and had declared war on the Company – and any imperial institution – after witnessing the horrors of colonialism and the trade monopolies that entail. He had set about stalking the waters around Port Royal and other vital British ports, picking off Company trade ships, reaping their loot, and distributing the wealth amongst the Tortugan poor. After Weatherby Swann's personal treasure galleon carrying commodities and family heirlooms was plundered by the buccaneer, the governor personally issued a warrant for Cannonwalker's capture and execution, and tasked the 9th Company of Rifles with this mission (for the regiment's fame and status as pirate hunters had become apparent). In early April, the 9th received an anonymous tip stating that Captain Cannonwalker was planning a daring raid on Port Royal, involving the kidnapping of the governor's young daughter, Elizabeth. Garland personally wrote to the governor, making him privy to the plot. However, underestimating Cannonwalker, the governor dismissed the rumours as intimidation, though nevertheless kept his personal unit of guards on alert. On the night of April 7, Cannonwalker's plan was executed. That evening the governor was holding a dinner party in his mansion, for various directors and officers of the Company (including Garland). Around 11PM, with the town dark and the harbour empty, the first guns were fired as Cannonwalker's ship made anchor and he, leading his crew, began sacking the town. Naturally, the 9th Rifles were the first on the scene, and dug in to hold the invading forces at bay on the beach. Garland, upon hearing news of the invasion, ordered for Elizabeth Swann's safe removal. He personally led a guard unit that escorted the governor's daughter to a safe house in the dense forests on the outskirts of Port Royal. However, Garland soon learned that Elizabeth Swann was a diversion; it was not she that the pirates intended to kidnap. Colonel Stratham was unable to muster the men of the 9th Rifles in time for battle, and the defending Company forces was soon overwhelmed. Stratham gave the order to fall back. Captain Cannonwalker, meanwhile, proceeded to the governor's mansion, meeting little resistance along the way. Once there, he confronted Governor Swann and ordered his crew to escort him away at gunpoint. Cannonwalker then dispatched a messenger to the commandant's office at Fort Charles, where Stratham was given the pirate captain's demands: all resistance to the pirates was to cease immediately and no attempt was to be made on the governor's salvation. Furthermore, he ordered for a sizable war frigate to be left for the pirates, as means to make their escape. Should the demands not be met, the governor would be killed. Seeing little other choice, Stratham complied. Meanwhile, Garland had returned to town and rushed immediately to the mansion, only to find it empty. After fighting and subjugating one of Cannonwalker's crew members left behind to keep guard, Garland learned of Cannonwalker's ploy and intent to escape. He ran to the dock, where he found he was too late; the HMS Godfrey was well out of harbour. Determined to save the governor, Captain Garland then ran to Fort Charles, where he pleaded with Colonel Stratham to make one last attempt to stop the pirates. Stratham, relaxed, turned down Garland's plea, and ominously assured the young captain that 'sometimes, these problems fix themselves.' Stratham then told Garland of how, before handing over the frigate to the pirates, he had his men light a slow-burning fuse in the ship's powder magazine, so the ship would explode as it left harbour. 'You did so knowing Governor Swann would be on board?' 'Sacrifices must be made in times of crisis, Captain Garland...' Shocked at the betrayal, Garland disobeyed Stratham's orders and, after rounding up a few soldiers from the 9th Rifles to form a platoon, set off on board a Company sloop at full sail for the fleeting frigate. 'Captain Garland, aren't you concerned Cannonwalker'll kill the governor when he finds out what we're doing?' inquired one soldier in Garland's platoon. 'If there's one thing a pirate loves, it's money. They won't kill the governor; he's too valuable.' Having called the pirates' bluff, Garland approached the Godfrey ''and ordered his men to open fire on the frigate's sails, to slow her down. The ''Godfrey ''answered with its own cannonfire, which Garland managed to mostly evade. After the brief firefight, Garland managed to land a grappling hook on the ''Godfrey, and the Company soldiers began to board the ship. Though greatly outnumbered, the Company soldiers fought valiantly and proved an equal match for Cannonwalker's crew. Garland, meanwhile, saw to the captain's quarters, where Captain Cannonwalker personally held the governor at blade point. 'I'm impressed, Captain –– Garland, is it? Such bravery is rare amongst your people.' Without answering, Garland reached for his officer's sabre and engaged in a heated duel with Cannonwalker. The two young swordsmen were equally skilled, and the intense fight carried on for more than a minute. Finally, Cannonwalker got the best of Garland, when he parried his sword blow, and in one fluid motion sliced the Company captain's leg, disarmed him, and knocked him to the ground of the cabin. As the young pirate captain pointed his blade down at Garland's chest, he announced his regret at having to kill a man of such determination. 'It's a shame, Captain Garland –– a man of such valour and self-righteous independence would make an excellent pirate.' Right before the killing blow, however, the ship's powder magazine exploded. Cannonwalker was knocked off his feet from the impact and, having hit his head, lay unconscious on the ground. Garland quickly got up and, limping from the cut on his leg, retrieved Governor Swann, who was sitting by, traumatised and injured. Garland got hold of the governor and led him out of the cabin, taking one last contemplating look at Captain Cannonwalker on his way out. The main deck was already in flames and Garland knew he had only a few seconds before the entire ship would explode for good. The few Company soldiers still alive rushed over and assisted Garland in getting the governor onto the sloop. Rather than get on the sloop, Garland hung back and ran back into the captain's quarters, now aflame, to retrieve Captain Cannonwalker. However, Garland was perplexed to see that Cannonwalker's body was no longer lying there. Just then, a shout came from the sloop. 'Captain Garland! She's about to give in! Get out of there, sir!' Garland sprinted from the cabin and leapt from the flaming ship. He had barely jumped when the last magazine finally gave in and the entire frigate erupted in one fiery explosion. Garland landed in the cool Caribbean water and swam to the sloop, which contained the governor and the only two surviving Company soldiers from Garland's platoon of twelve. Colonel Stratham was at the shore ready to berate Garland for disobeying his orders. However, a grateful Governor Swann, who had regained mentality and consciousness, spared Garland from Stratham's wrath and thanked him for the heroic rescue. As the governor left to see to his daughter, Stratham grabbed Garland by the arm and gave him a warning for his misconduct. Garland retorted by threatening Stratham, letting him know that the colonel's attempt to blow up the ship, compromising the governor's life for the death of a pirate, would not go forgotten. Angered, Stratham returned to Fort Charles as Garland turned to look at the infernal wreckage burning in Port Royal Bay, wondering the fate of Captain Cannonwalker. Mission to Tortuga Finding O'Leary Assuming Captain Cannonwalker to be deceased and his crew no longer a viable threat, the East India Trading Company began to target another looming figure in the world of Caribbean piracy: Jack Sparrow, the infamous captain of the Black Pearl. Governor Swann, whose daughter Elizabeth had prior run-ins with Sparrow, was personally invested in the pirate lord's capture. But the administration of the Company, as well as that of the Royal Navy, was far more concerned with the capitulation of Sparrow's now notorious ship, the Black Pearl, deemed the most deadly vessel in the Caribbean. In October of 1731, Colonel Stratham, one of the Company military leaders in charge of the hunt for Sparrow, received word that Sparrow and the Pearl ''had left the Caribbean, but had left one of his crewmates behind, who would know of Sparrow's whereabouts. The man, an Irishman named Donald O'Leary, was last spotted on Tortuga. Discussing a plan on how to extract the information from O'Leary, Stratham was bent on a full-fledged raid on the pirate town, taking no prisoners, and forcing O'Leary to talk. However, Governor Swann, wishing to complete the mission quietly so as to not rally Sparrow's allies in the regions, suggested a covert mission. Due to his newfound trust in the young captain, the governor further suggested Garland carry out the task. Stratham reluctantly agreed, and briefed Garland on his mission: he was to sail to Tortuga, locate O'Leary, and convince the pirate to reveal Sparrow's whereabouts. Unbeknownst to Governor Swann, but as a means to test Garland's loyalties, Stratham added one final task to the mission: when the information was obtained, Garland was to assassinate O'Leary. Thus, on October 20, Garland set out for Tortuga, accompanied only by a Company deckhand, Miles, to help him sail. A few days later they arrived, and Garland began his mission. Disguising himself in rags as a lowly smuggler, Garland approached Tortuga Town — a lawless safe haven for pirates across the globe. After renting a room at an inn, he took to the streets. All attention in Tortuga Town seemed to gravitate toward the town's principle tavern, the Faithful Bride. Once inside, Garland walked around the rowdy pub, listening in on the various conversations from the buccaneers and ruffians. When he heard a large, jolly, red-haired man loudly bragging in a thick Irish accent about his adventures aboard the ''Black Pearl, Garland knew at once he had found O'Leary. He gravitated around the pirate for several hours, making sure he always had a bottle of rum within arm's reach. As the night progressed, O'Leary's lucidity drifted. Finally, Garland quietly asked the large, inebriated man where he could find the Pearl. 'The Pearl?!' O'Leary bellowed loudly. 'Oy, I coul' tell ye where the Pearl ''is, bu' wha's say ye we make it worth while wit' a game o' poker?' 'O'Leary 'ere 'as the best 'and at poker,' another pirate shouted at Garland. 'Ye want somethin' from 'im, you'll 'ave to play 'im for it!' And so Garland accepted the challenge. He and O'Leary and a few other pirates sat at a table and engaged in a game of poker. After a few rounds, it was only Garland and O'Leary left; each continued to raise the pot, confident they had the better hand. However, Garland knew his hand was lacklustre. Having anticipated this moment, he reached into the pocket of his ragged smuggler's coat and pulled out a ace of spades, covertly slipping it into his hand. Finally, when the pot had drained either man's wallet, the time had come to reveal their hands. 'Aha! A flush!' O'Leary bellowed proudly. All the men in the tavern guffawed. With a smirk on his face, Garland revealed his own hand. 'Royal flush, spades.' Victorious, Garland began collecting his won gold as the entire tavern stood awestruck. Suddenly, O'Leary's face turned as red as his hair as he roared in anger. Rising from the table he stormed toward Garland, grabbed him by the collar and threw him to the ground. The tavern went silent once more. Garland, however, rose to his feet and sent a well-timed fist straight to O'Leary's face. At this, the tavern erupted into a brawl, as fist-fighting broke out amongst an upbeat tune from the string band. O'Leary lunged for Garland, but the Company captain was barely able to evade the much larger man, and retaliated with a punch to the Irishman's gut. Grabbing a hold of the brute, Garland then threw him into the poker table, causing it to collapse. Now standing over O'Leary, Garland jabbed him with a fist once more to the face, this time breaking his nose. O'Leary howled in pain as Garland demanded at once to know the whereabouts of Sparrow and the ''Black Pearl. 'Tripoli! They're at Tripoli! Sommet about repayin' an old debt!' Satisfied with this answer, Garland rose and turned to leave, when he suddenly remember the second part of his mission: killing O'Leary. He reached for his officer's flintlock in his coat pocket and turned to the disheveled, drunken pirate. After a minute of hesitation, he returned his flintlock to his pocket. He would not kill O'Leary. The man had committed no crime, at least none punishable by death. If anything, he had given the Company the information it desired, and for that, he did not deserve a bullet. Garland got hold of the intoxicated man and, lifting him off the ground, heaved him into a nearby chair, where the pirate rested his head and snored loudly. Garland left the tavern and returned to the inn, where he collapsed onto his bed, anticipating to leave Tortuga first thing in the morning, his primary mission complete. Escaping Tortuga Garland had not been asleep for long when he was suddenly awoken by a familiar voice. It was Miles, the young deckhand who had helped bring him to Tortuga. He spoke frantically. 'Sir, I've learned there's going to be an attempt on the life of that pirate, O'Leary! The one you were with this evening! Something about an "unfinished job", sir! We must get to the Faithful Bride, quickly!' Garland ordered Miles to return to the ship, and, grabbing his belongings, made haste for the Faithful Bride. The night had grown even darker and the streets of Tortuga Town even more chaotic. The brawling that had broken out in the tavern had not only continued uninterrupted, but had spilled out into the streets. Everywhere drunken pirates smashed one another with empty bottles; unconscious bodies littered the road and the entrance to the tavern. Once inside the Faithful Bride, Garland at once noticed O'Leary still fast asleep at the same table where he had left him, unharmed. 'Mr O'Leary,' Garland said loudly into the drunk man's ear, 'Mr O'Leary, we must get you out of here. I'm afraid there is someone here to kill you. Come, we must go at once!' O'Leary protested, but Garland was ultimately able to coax the large man up and began leading him through the pub. He punched his way through several drunken brawlers, at one point using the leg of a table as a weapon to keep the rough crowd at bay. Quickly leading O'Leary out into the street, he continued to fight his way through Tortuga down to the docks, occasionally stopping to help up the stumbling and confused O'Leary. Finally, after a while of fighting off the intoxicated thugs of Tortuga, the docks lay insight, the Company ship ready for departure. Garland led O'Leary closer, until they were nearly to the docks. 'No worries Mr O'Leary, we'll be safe soon. It's just a bit longer until we've —' A gunshot rang through the night. O'Leary's face turned pale as a ghost, as Garland noticed a dark red spot forming over the drunk pirate's heart. Within seconds, blood began pouring down O'Leary's shirt as he collapsed to the ground, with so little as a grunt. Stunned and traumatised, Garland turned to see a dark figure, cloaked entirely in black, a pistol raised and still emitting smoke. Garland recognised the man from his shady dealings with the Company. Ian Mercer. 'I guess I'll have to tell Stratham you've not been good, Captain Garland,' Mercer said sharply, with a hissing emphasis on the last two words. Garland ignored Mercer and instead bent down to tend to O'Leary, eyes and mouth agape. He checked for a pulse. None. Shaking with anger, he looked up to shout something at Mercer, but he had disappeared into the night. Overcome with grief, Garland dragged O'Leary's corpse to a patch of grass on the side of the street and, taking one last glance at the destitute town, sat the pouch containing his poker winnings from that evening upon O'Leary's chest, as well as the ace of spades he had used to cheat his way to victory. Garland returned to his ship, and discovered that Miles the deckhand had disappeared. Searching the area and shouting his name to no avail, Garland sailed back to Port Royal on his own. Piracy in the Caribbean Piracy in the Baltic Seven Years' War and Death Category:Pirates Category:Pirate Lord Category:POTCO Emulator Category:Fan Creations Category:The Brethren Courts